Monthly Archives: April 2018

As you know, our annual spring parent meetings were held last week, marking these as the first ever student led conferences in the UAS MS! Though the UAS Elementary School has operated this form of spring conferencing for years, this was our first attempt at hosting these meetings in this fashion. By all accounts, this method of conferencing was a HUGE success.

The parent feedback I have received thus far indicated that parents were very impressed with how organized their child was, and how smart they are!! The conversations were intellectually rich, and covered the broad spectrum of courses taught at the UAS MS. The dialogue I observed between parents and students included great questions, and enthusiastic student answers that expressed how much they know and are able to do. As advertised previously, this method of conferencing afforded our students the golden opportunity to highlight the progress of their growth and academic achievement. Students chose the evidence of their own learning journey, and then articulated their strengths and talents. It was truly marvelous to behold!!

A special thanks to all the parents who were able to attend, and to those parents who managed to conference with their child away from our campus. That opportunity still exists, and I would strongly encourage you to speak with your child about their portfolio if you have not yet had that marvelous chance.

MS Fine Arts Programs are on the Horizon!!
The Middle School fine arts programs are set to take center stage in the coming two weeks, with music performances and school plays scheduled for ShowTime!!! WOOHOO!!! First up, our actors/actresses will take to the stage of our drama room for five short plays on Wednesday, May 2 for two shows at 4:00 and 6:30 PM. Under the direction of Ms. Cris, Ms. Donald and Ms. Fiona, our Middle School thespians are sure to make you laugh, and maybe even make you cry! Here’s hoping you can join us on Wednesday.

Our band and choir students under the baton of Ms. Gordon will be performing alongside their HS counterparts in two separate concerts next week. The MS/HS choirs will showcase their talents on Monday, May 7, while their MS/HS instrumental counterparts will sound off on Wednesday, May 9. Both concerts will be held in the MPH starting from 6:30 PM.

Thank you for your attention to these details. Until our paths cross again, please take good care and may peace be upon you.

As you likely know, the spring version of our annual parent meetings will be held this week, and the UAS MS will be hosting our first everstudent led conferences! Though the UAS Elementary School has utilized this method of parent conferencing for many years, this will be the first time the Middle School has embarked on such an endeavor.

This method of conferencing will enable students to showcase the process of their growth and achievement at their individual level. It provides students with the option to choose the evidence of their own learning journey, and it allows students the golden opportunity to highlight their strengths and talents.

An email was sent to parents last week with encouragement to register for a 30-minute block of time on Wednesday, April 25 for a student-led conference with your awesome MS student. Please note that these conferences will be conducted within the classroom of your child’s advisory teacher, and your child is expected to attend and share their learning with you. During this 30-minute conference, your student will be sharing evidence of their academic growth from each of their classes. Reflections, rubrics, self-assessments, peer-assessments, formative and summative assessments are all types of evidence your student might choose to share.

My staff and I are very excited about the opportunity to host this first batch of conferences led by our students, and we look forward to your positive participation! If you have any questions about the conferences, please feel free to contact your child’s advisory teacher directly. Look forward to seeing you in the “house” Happy conferencing!

Directors Forum on April 24

The MS Principals Coffee, previously scheduled for Tuesday, April 24, has now been converted into a school wide Directors Forum focusing on the UAS Arabic and Islamic programs. All parents are welcome to attend what promises to be a very informative presentation. You are encouraged to join your fellow parents from 8:00 to 9:30 AM in the Secondary School Library, where new UAS Director OB Sealey will play the role of host.

Thank you for your attention to this information. Until our paths cross again, please take good care and may peace be upon you.

Our spring calendar is abundantly full of activities, and I encourage you to note the events listed below, and to consult the school wide calendar for more details. The pace will only get more hectic from here, so let’s collectively hang on and enjoy the ride! WOOHOO!!!

A reminder about the 1st ever MS Student Led Parent Conferences

The spring version of our annual parent meetings will be held next week, as the UAS MS will be hosting our first everstudent led conferences on April 25. Though the UAS Elementary School has utilized this method of parent conferencing for many years, this will be the first time the Middle School has embarked on such an endeavor.

Why student led conferences (SLC)? SLC’s:

enable students to showcase the process of their growth and achievement, and at their individual level,

provide students with the option to choose the evidence of their own learning journey, and

SLC’s allow students the opportunity to highlight their strengths and goals, and provide evidence they are working toward their goals.

Student led conference details:

You will receive an email this week encouraging you to register for a 30-minute block of time on Wednesday, April 25 for a student led conference with your awesome MS student.

The student led conferences will be conducted within the classroom of your child’s advisory teacher, and your child is expected to attend and present.

During this 30-minute conference, your student will be sharing evidence of their learning from each of their classes.

Within each grade level, there are also students who are struggling academically and/or behaviorally. We refer to these young people as being “students of concern” or SOC. Each grade level team will be inviting parents of these SOC students to a team conference on Thursday, April 26. Data that defines the concern will be shared, but more importantly strategies for improving the student’s current academic standing will be discussed and plans implemented.

My staff and I are very excited about the opportunity to host this first batch of student led conferences, and we look forward to your positive participation!

Directors Forum on April 24

The MS Principals Coffee, previously scheduled for April 24, has now been converted into a school wide Directors Forum focusing on the UAS Arabic and Islamic programs. All parents are welcome to attend what promises to be a very informative program. You are encouraged to join your fellow parents from 8:00 to 9:30 AM in the Secondary School Library.

Thank you for your attention to this information. Until our paths cross again, please take good care and may peace be upon you.

Here’s hoping that you and your family had a sensational spring break and that your children have returned to school rested and rejuvenated, because I certainly have! WOOHOO!!! As for me, I had the good fortune of connecting with my daughter in Cape Town, South Africa and we shared several FABULOUS adventures. I also enjoyed some quality down time, also known as a “staycation” last week, so I am truly good to go for the rest of this school year!

Welcome to the 1st ever MS Student Led Parent Conferences

We have reached the second half of our 2nd semester and it soon will be time for our spring version of the annual parent conferences. This particular batch will be something new for the UAS MS however, as we will be hosting the first ever student led conferences on April 25. Though the UAS Elementary School has utilized this method of parent conferencing for many years, this will be the first time the Middle School has embarked on such an endeavor.

Why student led conferences (SLC)? SLC’s:

Enable students to showcase the process of their growth and achievement, and at their individual level,

Provide students with the option to choose the evidence of their own learning journey, and

Allow students the opportunity to include their strengths and goals, and evidence they are working toward their goals.

Student led conference details:

You will receive an email by early next week, encouraging you to sign up for a 30-minute block of time on Wednesday, April 25 for the student led parent conference with your MS student.

The student led conferences will be conducted within the classroom of your child’s advisory teacher, and your child is expected to attend.

During this 30-minute conference, your student will be sharing evidence of their learning in each of their classes.

Within each grade level, there are also students who are struggling academically and/or behaviorally. We refer to these young people as being “students of concern” or SOC. Each grade level team will be inviting parents of these SOC students to team conferences on Thursday, April 26. Data that defines the concern will be shared, but more importantly strategies for improving the current academic standing of the student will also be discussed.

My staff and I are very excited about the opportunity to host these student led conferences, and we enthusiastically anticipate plenty of quality sharing between students and parents. We look forward to your positive participation on April 25 & 26.

Thank you for your attention to this information. Until our paths cross again, please take good care and may peace be upon you.